Kromek Group plc, a leading developer of radiation and bio-detection technology solutions for the advanced imaging and CBRN detection segments, is pleased to announce that it has secured two contracts, totalling £1.5m, for the supply of its D3M and D3S-based nuclear security products. Delivery will commence immediately and the revenue will be received in Kromek’s current financial year.

Both contracts have been secured with Kromek distribution and procurement partners, and are to supply European government end-users.

Kromek’s nuclear security products help guard against the threat of nuclear terrorism, accidents and the illicit movement of nuclear materials. The contracts are for Kromek’s D3M, D3 static node and networking capability for these detectors. The D3M is a high-performance combined gamma/neutron personal radiation detector that is wearable, unobtrusive, hands-free and continuously scans for radiation. Kromek’s networked static radiation detection node, which is based on the Group’s D3S technology, is a small static unit designed for radiation monitoring that can easily be deployed discreetly with continuous power and communication in challenging environments. This complete solution enables real time monitoring and early warning capability providing actionable intelligence that can be rapidly deployed.

Avon Protection today announced it has reached an agreement to sell the assets of its Lexington, KY facility to CoorsTek, Inc, a global manufacturer of advanced ceramics materials, for a modest cash consideration.

This facility is part of the armor business that was acquired through Avon’s acquisition of 3M’s ballistic protection business in 2020. It is focused on manufacturing ceramic plates, an essential component of body armor and aircraft armor. As announced earlier this year, the armor business is in the process of being wound down by the end of FY23. 

CoorsTek has been a long-time provider to the aerospace and defense industry, investing over $50 million in this business over the past two years, including a state-of-the-art advanced materials manufacturing campus in Benton, Arkansas.  “Avon Protection’s armor business is an excellent complement to our robust defense business,” said Michael Coors, CoorsTek CEO. “We are pleased to add these assets to our industry portfolio as we continue to grow in this region and drive further innovations and advancement in the armor and ceramics industry.”

Bruce Thompson, Executive Chair of Avon Protection, commented, “We are delighted to announce the sale of the Lexington facility today, which provides a future for the plant and the team based there, whilst allowing us to focus on our core capabilities to deliver mission-critical personal protection solutions to the world’s militaries and first responders.”

Completion of the transaction is expected to take place in H2 FY23 once Avon has fulfilled its final contractual obligations with its customers per their agreed wind-down plan.

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The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation ("MAR") EU no.596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service ("RIS"), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

About Avon Protection:
Avon Protection makes products that are trusted to protect the world’s militaries and first responders.

Our dedicated teams achieve this by developing mission-critical solutions that enhance our customers’ performance, efficiency and capability, whilst providing ever-increasing levels of protection.  With a portfolio that includes respiratory and head protection systems, we are renowned for our innovative thinking and our steadfast approach to manufacturing unrivalled products.

For further information, please visit our website www.avon-protection-plc.com.

About CoorsTek
Founded in 1910, CoorsTek is a leading global manufacturer of technical ceramics. By leveraging expertise in engineering and materials science, CoorsTek provides solutions to complex technical challenges in the semiconductor, medical, automotive, aerospace, and other industries. With over 400 proprietary formulations, vertically integrated systems, and unparalleled process capabilities, CoorsTek partners with its customers to make the world measurably better.

Agilent Technologies Inc. today announced the deployment of the next generation of alarm resolution technology for checkpoints throughout London Heathrow airport, delivering advanced security and efficiency. The Insight200M from Agilent ensures increased safety on planes while improving passenger experience at airports.

The ban on liquids in carry-on luggage was slowly lifted to allow baby food, medicinal items, and duty-free items, and there is a continuous shift to further simplify the experience at checkpoints while maintaining security. This shift has led to the adoption of new computed tomography X-ray (CT) screening technology in place of conventional X-ray systems. Heathrow has announced the rollout of the new CT security equipment throughout the airport over the next few years, however it requires an advanced alarm resolution system, such as the Insight200M, to be in place after the primary screening to resolve alarms and ensure safety while maintaining passenger satisfaction.

The Insight200M liquid explosive detection system (LEDS) is ECAC standard 3 Type A & B certified and provides cutting-edge technology that works alongside CT systems. It enables increased passenger throughput, as the Insight200M has a low false alarm rate, ensuring that items are screened quickly with the high detection rate.

“As one of the world’s premier travel hubs, Heathrow airport’s deployment of Insight200M systems continues a strong partnership that started with Cobalt Light Systems (now part of Agilent) in 2013,” said Geoff Winkett, vice president and general manager of Molecular Spectroscopy at Agilent. “The new fleet has been deployed at Heathrow throughout the busy summer months with minimal impact to operations due to the dedication of the Agilent and Heathrow teams.”

While the 100 mL rule for liquids will remain in place for all passengers travelling through the UK for the foreseeable future, once CT and Insight200M solutions are deployed, this security solution could potentially end the requirement for passengers to remove liquids and laptops from cabin baggage when passing through security.

Smiths Detection, a global leader in the development of threat detection and security screening equipment, opened a biolab at its centre of excellence in Hemel Hempstead, UK. The new lab will complement the research capabilities of its Baltimore, Maryland site, in developing next generation biological threat detection capabilities primarily for its BioFlash Biological Identifier.

Smiths Detection’s BioFlash is a desktop biothreat detection system that uses CANARY® technology (a cell-based biosensor) in combination with proprietary aerosol-collection techniques to rapidly identify biothreat agents from an air sample. Already the BioFlash can detect biothreats such as anthrax, ricin, botulinum toxin, black plague, tularemia, smallpox, and SARS-CoV-2. The Hemel Hempstead lab will work alongside colleagues in the US to develop new detection capabilities for known and unknown biothreats.

Producing BioDiscs out of Hemel Hempstead allows Smiths Detection to provide an even better service to its customers across Europe and nearby regions. The BioFlash received a CE marking in October opening the way for the product to be sold in the EU.

Smiths Detection’s Vice President of Technology, Matt Clark, said of the opening, “The new Biolab in Hemel Hempstead is a milestone for Smiths Detection and demonstrates our commitment to responding quickly to new and emerging threats and to supporting our customers in the region.” 

Recently, Smiths Detection BioFlash was used at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to support test high-security areas for the presence of SAR-CoV-2, with the UK biolab manufacturing and supplying the necessary BioDiscs throughout the Games.

orginally published by https://www.globenewswire.com/

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) announced today a research award by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) to evaluate efficacy of the company’s single-dose chikungunya virus virus-like particle (CHIKV VLP) vaccine candidate. Emergent will begin the planning phase, the first of two phases, in collaboration with the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS) and academic partners, to enable a post-approval field efficacy study in areas with active chikungunya virus (CHIKV) transmission.

“Emergent is pleased to gain the support of the CDMRP to verify the clinical benefit of our CHIKV VLP vaccine candidate for CHIKV disease through a post-approval field efficacy study,” said Chris Cabell, M.D., chief medical officer and SVP clinical development at Emergent BioSolutions. “We look forward to combining our product development expertise with the capabilities of AFRIMS in chikungunya epidemiology and field studies, and of our academic partners in infectious disease modeling and efficacy trial design, to find ways to address chikungunya disease, a public health threat for which no vaccine or treatment exists.”

AFRIMS is a research directorate in Thailand and a component of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in Maryland, USA. An important element of the AFRIMS mission is to support the development of vaccines against viruses that are endemic in the Southeast Asia region.

The planned post-approval study, a multicenter Phase 3b clinical study, will evaluate the vaccine candidate’s efficacy in preventing CHIKV disease and assess the utility of a model-guided disease surveillance framework to optimize execution of a field efficacy trial using CHIKV as a model emerging pathogen.

This work was supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and the Defense Health Agency J9, Research and Development Directorate, or the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command through the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) under Award No. W81XWH2210481, with a total program budget of approximately $10 million for both the planning and clinical study phases.

The PRMRP supports research across the full range of science and medicine, with an underlying goal of enhancing the health, care, and well-being of military service members, veterans, retirees, and their family members. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense.

About the chikungunya virus
Chikungunya virus is spread to people by infected mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever, incapacitating joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash. The geographic distribution of CHIKV has expanded to more than 100 countries and territories worldwide.

About the CHIKV VLP vaccine candidate
Emergent BioSolutions’ CHIKV VLP chikungunya virus vaccine candidate is a single dose VLP-based vaccine in clinical development for active immunization against chikungunya disease. It is currently being investigated in two pivotal phase 3 trials. The CHIKV VLP candidate is licensed from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. It received Breakthrough Therapy designation and Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2020 and May 2018, respectively, and PRIME (PRIority MEdicines) designation from the European Medicines Agency in September 2019.

Argon Electronics (UK) Ltd. and Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions have successfully integrated Argon’s LCD3.3 simulator, known as the M4A1 JCAD simulator in the U.S., with Cubic’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense (CBRND) Collective Training Simulation System (CTSS). This collaborative effort enables Argon’s LCD3.3 simulator, and potentially all other Argon Personal Area Network (PAN)-based simulators, to be integrated with Cubic’s training and instrumentation systems.

The LCD3.3-SIM when linked to the body worn player’s PAN responds to simulated chemical warfare and toxic industrial threats generated by Cubic’s Exercise Control (EXCON) Combined Arms Training Simulation (CATS) Metrix^TM. In addition, all user interaction with the simulator including the use of simulated confidence tester and replacement of consumables is reported to EXCON in real time. The integration benefits include the capability to fully incorporate CBRN detection within battlefield training scenarios over extremely large areas and within suitably instrumented building structures. This adds a vital and long overdue aspect to combined arms and higher-level command structure training.

“This was an exciting project which required in-depth technical cooperation between Argon and Cubic staff,” said Steven Pike, Argon’s Managing Director. “The integration was completed with minimal difficulty, and incredibly, without any of either companies’ engineering teams ever meeting in person.”

Pike added that having both Cubic’s instrumentation system and Argon’s simulators based on open industry standards was key to the successful integration. “This method of implementation enables existing Cubic customers to benefit from this capability by means of upgrade and we look forward to supporting similar projects in the future,” he said.

Mark Horn, Director Strategic Development for Cubic Oceania, cited that high fidelity CBRN training is now available across very large training areas with specialist detection devices that precisely replicate operational detection and analysis tools. “The simulation is just as invisible to the operator as the real threat substance often is,” he said. “Whole of force collective CBRN training is essential in today’s complex threat environment,” Horn added. “The CBRND Collective Training Simulation System enables training objectives for CBRND specialists and whole of force mission readiness objectives to be achieved simultaneously in large training exercises.”  

DSTL are proud to host the Chemical Weapons Demilitarisation Conference #CWD2023 Registration and abstract submission have now opened For more information and a discount for early booking vist https://registration.livegroup.co.uk/cwd2023/

Photo @USMC Cpl. Dalton S. Swanbeck

Kromek Group plc,  a leading developer of radiation and bio-detection technology solutions for the advanced imaging and CBRN detection segments, is pleased to announce that it has secured a contract with a UK Government department to develop and supply biological threat detection systems.

Under the terms of the contract, Kromek will commence work in December for a three-year programme worth £4.9m. The contract also includes an option for extended maintenance services after the initial term.

Kromek, a leading developer of radiation and bio-detection technology solutions for the advanced imaging and CBRN detection segments, announces that it has received, and delivered, a contract worth $1.3m from a US customer for the Group’s D3M wearable radiation detector.This contract is a repeat order, with Kromek having now delivered D3M orders worth $2.6m to this customer in the last six months.

Kromek’s D3M is a high-performance combined gamma/neutron personal radiation detector that helps guard against the threat of nuclear terrorism and the illicit movement of nuclear materials. It is wearable, unobtrusive, hands-free and continuously scans for radiation with a six-times lower false alarm rate than the standard of the American National Standards Institute.

Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, launched at CBRNE Convergence their new MUVE R430 drone sensor payload used to remotely detect and identify radiation sources and radiological hazards across a wide range of use scenarios. The MUVE R430 is an advanced radiation detector purpose-designed for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to detect, locate, measure, map, and identify radioactive sources from above. Using the same field-proven technology and algorithms as Teledyne FLIR’s identiFINDER series of radionuclide identification devices, the R430 enables users to quickly pinpoint and accurately identify sources of radioactivity from a distance.

The Teledyne FLIR SkyRanger R70 and R80D SkyRaider UAS serve as the initial deployment airframes for the new sensor payload. The R430 is integrated into the drone’s Mission Control Software and provides both visible and audible alerts of radioactivity. Using a familiar interface, R430 operators can easily create contamination maps, examine a dangerous source, and perform assessments in hard-to-reach places and environments, all while keeping at a safe distance. Ready to deploy in minutes, MUVE R430 balances size and weight, which makes it a versatile platform for diverse situations, including wide-area hazmat surveys, emergency response, and environmental monitoring.

“MUVE R430 brings the pedigree of our professionally trusted identiFINDER product line to the skies,” said Dr. David Cullin, vice president of technology and product management at Teledyne FLIR Defense. “Using a drone to remotely detect radiation means faster decision-making, safer conditions for civilian or military responders, and the likelihood of a better outcome for anyone in harm’s way. The R430 delivers full situational awareness that’s vital if and when a radiation event occurs – and could even prevent one.

“As a company, we continue to invest strategically in our full line of intelligent sensing technologies – for handheld devices as well as manned and unmanned platforms – to offer customers a complete mission solution,” Cullin added.

The R430 marks the third offering in Teledyne FLIR’s MUVE series of remote sensor payloads. In June, the company introduced the MUVE B330 drone payload that can be used to detect deadly biological agents and other airborne biohazards. It joined the MUVE C360 multi-gas detector, used to provide real-time continuous monitoring of chemical hazards, which can be deployed on both Teledyne FLIR as well as commercial UAS systems and robots.

Environics has launched its new X-System solution for CBRN threat monitoring. The new system concept has been introduced for the first time to a CBRN specialized audience at the CBRNe Protection Symposium in Malmö (Sweden) and for a naval audience at EURONAVAL in Paris (France) this autumn.

The X-System brings Environics system solutions for CBRN monitoring to the next level by introducing two brand new generation detectors to the market: ChemProX-DS and RanidX. ChemProX-DS is a chemical detector for mobile and stationary installations, which allows for both independent usage and system integration. It combines the performance of a "traditional" detector with CBRN system monitoring capabilities by featuring a local interface display with full CBRN system status. RanidX, is the other new COTS product, a system compatible gamma radiation detector, which provides real-time gamma and X-ray radiation monitoring down to low levels (L.L.R).

In addition, the X-System is complemented with Environics biological detector with a 3-in-1 continuous bioaerosol monitoring, and EnviScreen — CBRN Monitoring System Software Solution — providing a full CBRN system solution from one single supplier. The X-System is based on Environics’ long experience and proven expertise. It is built from COTS products allowing for a new flexible and optimized detection system architecture. The X-System and its components have been designed especially for harsh and demanding environmental conditions where naval vessels and armoured vehicles operate and has been widely tested against relevant standards.

Argon Electronics (UK) Ltd. and Smiths Detection have once again renewed their Exploitation Agreement permitting Argon to manufacture and market a range of simulators based upon Smiths market leading Chemical Warfare detectors.

Originally signed in 2012, the worldwide exclusive Exploitation Agreement permits Argon to utilise and implement the appropriate aspects of Smiths Intellectual Property and detector components to create high fidelity Chemical Warfare detector training simulators that have been delivered to numerous Government worldwide.

Argon simulators enable a wide variety of scenarios ranging from clandestine laboratory, terrorist threats and battlefield CWA releases to be implemented in a safe, environmentally friendly manner. Capable of being used with discrete simulation sources and with Argon’s PlumeSIM wide are training system, the simulators incorporate a powerful user monitoring that provides valuable After Action Review (AAR) to support student evaluation.

Many users of Argon simulators have reported the greatly improved quality of use in real detectors during live agent training exercises because of prior simulator use and practice.

Steven Pike, Argon’s Managing Director commented, “This Exploitation Agreement has proven extremely successful for both Smiths and Argon while at the same time providing Smiths customers with a valuable training capability – a true multi way win for all concerned and we are delighted our important relationship with Smiths has benefited so many people”.

Michael Lea of Smiths Detection commented, “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Argon Electronics. The combination of the Smiths Detection LCD and Argon’s training capability gives operators the best possible capability in preparing for and countering toxic Chemicals threats’.